The Sound of a Heart
by Jay-Chan
Summary: A love triangle? With a happy ending? Impossible, right? I wonder. The stakes raise when Gordo ends up at Lizzy and Miranda's sleepover. LGM. COMPLETED!
1. A Heart Changing

Author's Note: I can't beleive I've let my Lizzie McGuire obsession extend to a point where I'm writing fanfiction. It hurts...but it hurts soooo goood! Anyway, when you're reading this, keep in mind this is NOT a Gordo/Miranda fic. Well, not totally. Not completely. Sort of. Just, for all of your L/G fans, there will be plenty of that, worry not. Either-or, enjoy the fic.

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The sound of a heart changing is strange. Some might say it makes no sound at all, and the change strikes you with no inkling of it taking place. Others might say it was more of a feeling than a sound, like the sense that the air had changed in a room. Others still might say that it was a small sound, like a double beat, or some sort of squeak. Miranda, however, heard something along the lines of a deafening boom the moment her heart changed as she looked upon David 'Gordo' Gordon that fateful day.

There wasn't anything different, no defining features, that could have logically lead to a change like that. Gordo was sketching out a thought on a piece of paper, while Lizzie glanced over in intrigue. It wasn't something in his determined eyes that suddenly caused the alteration. It wasn't something in his face flushed with summer time heat. It wasn't something in his scruffy, bushy hair bouncing with every move of his arm. It wasn't anything in particular but suddenly, with a bone shaking magnitude, Miranda saw something in Gordo that she hadn't before; something she had no word to describe.

"Gordo..." She mumbled, in some sort of echo of that massive shock to her emotion. Gordo's pencil slowed and he cocked his head towards her's.

"Huh?" He blinked, looking into her eyes. Lizzie too turned to Miranda.

"Oh, uh..." She paused, "What're you working on there?"

"Just an idea for a new movie. I'm thinking romance and drama in a love triangle to shake the ages." Gordo said with great gusto.

"Oh, is that all?" Lizzie snickered, glancing at the paper, and pushing her gold locks behind her ear.

"And you fit it all on that little paper?" Miranda raised her eyebrows, to which Gordo just smirked.

"That's not all though. It'll have a happy ending, where _everyone_ is happy. How do you think that sounds?" He asked the two, quite proud and confident in his tedious-turned plot idea.

"Insane." Miranda quipped, without skipping a beat.

"Yeah, c'mon Gordo, how can a love triangle have a _real_ happy ending?" Lizzie said, giving David a skeptical look.

"I..." He paused "have no idea."

"I'm not surprised." Miranda said, rolling her eyes.

"There's gotta be some way..." Gordo bit his lower lip and stared intently at his paper.

Miranda's eyes scanned over his driven expression. Her hard face softened, as she thought about the quick comments she had made not a moment before. "If there's anyway to do it Gordo, you'll figure it out." She spoke finally. Gordo turned again to meet Miranda's stare, his eyes somewhat widened.

"Thanks Miranda." He said honestly, nodding his head slightly.

"Yeah, I mean, with the problems you've helped me out of, you can figure this one out." Lizzie added in. "By the way Gordo, how long are you going to grow your hair out?"

"Yeah, it's like a shag rug on your head." Miranda said, tugging on a piece of it.

"Huh? Oh, don't you like it? I think it looks better longer." He pushed one hand through his bushy locks, making one side of his hair stick strait up. Lizzy and Miranda both couldn't help but stare and giggle at his frenzied follicles. "...Guys? What's wrong with my hair?"

"Nothing, it's just...well, here, take a look." Miranda laughed as she dug through her purse, looking for a mirror. "Hmm, I could swear I had a compact in here."

"Oh! I have one!" Lizzie squealed, pulling one out, rather quickly from her purse. Miranda couldn't help but stare at her friend's bubbly carriage at breakneck speed.

"Huh...well, it is a little uneven." Gordo looked at his head from different angles in the mirror. He pushed back the other side so it was all ablaze with wooly wonderment. "Much better."

Lizzy sighed, the corners of her lips picking up slightly, as she slowly nodded her head. "You're amazing, you know that Gordo?"

"Yeah, if amazing means a total nut." Miranda said, again, without missing a beat.

"Ah c'mon Miranda, you know you looooove him." Lizzy teased. Miranda's world stopped for a split second. Love? Was that the word?

* * *

Yes, yes, the sound of a heart changing is an enigma in itself. Perhaps the answer lies not in the description or quality of the sound, but from where it came; or rather, from who. Still, we can't base judgements solely on a single persons heart. Lizzie, perhaps, is who's heart needs to be heard. 


	2. A Heart Waking Up

After a few days, chapter two is up. It's rare I update this fast, I'm so proud. This chapter settles more on L/G, and is a bit longer than the last one. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

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The sound of a heart can be stretched over time, so it may not even be noticeable. Produce a stimuli over a long enough period, being sound, sight, or smell, and our minds will adjust themselves to incorporate it as a constant in our environment. Concentrate enough, take it away, or have it show itself through some act, and we can recognize it.

Lizzie never understood the sound to begin with. It began so long ago, and was so constant throughout her life, it's really no surprise she was oblivious to it, and that she lacked that comprehension of it. However, it obviously played a large part in her life. The way she missed Gordo when she hadn't seen him for a long time, or the way her envy flared up when any other girl begins to play a part in his life; it all showed she had some fancy for the boy, but she wasn't completely aware of how deeply she really cared for him.

Lizzy sighed, the corners of her lips picking up slightly, as she slowly nodded her head. "You're amazing, you know that Gordo?" She peeked up and looked at David's scruffy scalp, and then back into his eyes. He was unique, funny, sort of goofy and she couldn't imagine him anyway else. That's probably why she loved him.

Wait.

Gordo?

Love?

"Yeah, if amazing means a total nut." Miranda said, to which Lizzy almost recoiled. She couldn't tell if Miranda was being mean, or just kidding around sometimes, but she settled on the latter.

"Ah c'mon Miranda, you know you looooove him." Lizzy teased, hoping to lighten up the mood, but she almost wished she had eaten her words. The thought of anyone else loving Gordo always made her stomach churn. Her eyes turned green with envy even at the thought of it. She pasued to tuck away those negative vibes when she noticed Miranda looked as if she just swallowed a frog. She hadn't struck a nerve had she?

Wait.

Miranda didn't love Gordo...did she?

"Uh, guys?" Gordo looked at his two friends, struck by their sudden silence, "Are you as hungry as I am? I think pizza is in order."

Lizzie and Miranda instantly noticed their own silence and snapped out of it. "Yeah, pizza sounds good." Lizzie said, getting up and stretching. The courtyard in which they were sitting wasn't very large, more or a small cropping of a larger park. The white metal fencing was old and gothic, stretching up past six feet. The ground was grass, with a cement sidewalk stretching down the center, and different types of card tables, checkerboards, and other such recreational devices running along the side. It was a quaint area, normally occupied by senior citizens, but recently discovered as a nice summer hideout by our two heroines and single hero.

"Pizza's good with me." Miranda chirped, also standing. Gordo lifted himself up as well, and the three began to walk. Lizzie couldn't help but look at David most of the walk there. She had always thought of him as all those things that made him such a great person, but she had never made the connection to romance. It was as if she had just woken up to something that was always there. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more sense it made, the more she thought about it. Could she really be in lo-

"So, what are we going to do this summer?" Miranda asked, crossing her arms.

"Go camping?" Gordo shrugged.

"Again?" Lizzie sneered as she spoke, expressing her obvious discontent with the suggestion.

"What about going to the beach?" Miranda smiled.

"The beach? I'm not sure if my parents would let me." Gordo pulled his lip back in unsureness.

"Maybe we're thinking too big." Lizzie started, "What could we do just tonight?"

"What about a sleepover?" Miranda proposed, with some small amount of hidden glee.

"Yeah, that sounds fun." Lizzie smiled wide.

"Uh, hello? Guys? Do you think our parents would really let us have a co-ed sleepover?" Gordo raised his eyebrows wildly.

"Mm...good point." Miranda's smile faded into sadness.

"What if they didn't know?" Lizzie's mischievous smirk quickly spread to a smile.

"How would we work that?" Gordo shifted his eyebrows again.

"Hmm, you could tell your parents you were sleeping at someone else's, and we'd just have to hide you somewhere when my parent's were around." Lizzie explained with an air of triumph.

"The only problem is I really don't have any other friends to use as decoys. You guys are pretty much it." He said dejectedly. "I guess you guys will have to go on without me.

"We'll find some way Gordo, don't worry about it." Miranda gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

They walked in silence for some time. Lizzie still couldn't help but stare at David a bit. The thought of him sleeping over made her heart beat twice as fast. She could feel all the blood rush to her hands, giving them a strange tingly feeling. Just the thought of sharing a room, less than a room even, the thought of sharing a few feet made her bite her lower lip with anticipation. She had never felt like this before. Was this lov-

"Woo! Pizza! About time!" Gordo declared as they reached the pizza parlor, breaking the silence.

"I really didn't realize how hungry I was. I'm _starving._" Miranda half-moaned.

"I call pineapple on half." Gordo near-ran in the door.

"No way Gordo!" Lizzie called after him. It wasn't long before the trio decided on toppings. There was much pizza consumed that afternoon, much soda drank, and many brave slices of pepperoni gave their lives, until at last the hunger of three teenagers was subsided and the tomato-sauce carnage ended.

"I don't think I've ever been this full." Miranda leaned her head on one hand, exasperated from the feast.

"Tell me about it." Lizzie sighed, sipping more of her cola.

"Oh come on, you guys really aren't full, are you?" Gordo asked, finishing the last of what crust was left.

"You're still hungry?" Lizzie's eyes and voice bled disbelief.

"I'm gonna' grab another slice, I'll be right back." He said, excusing himself to the counter.

"Can you believe him?" Miranda raised her arms in a bewildered shrug.

"He's a guy." was Lizzie's only response to that. "You know, I'm sort of excited about tonight. It'll be a lot of fun if Gordo can come."

"Yeah, I'm getting excited too. We have to find a way for him to come." Miranda said, drumming her hand on the table, pondering.

"Hmm..." Lizzie started. Suddenly, she perked up as if she had an idea, but she only let out a burp that made her slap her hands to her face, trying to cover her mouth and reddening cheeks.

Gordo swung around the back of her chair, saying, "You're cute when you burp and try to cover it up." He sat down and began to eat the rest of his pizza.

Wait.

Did Gordo just call Lizzie cute?

Her cheeks burned a deeper red.


	3. A Heart of Love and Lust

Third Chapter, not a moment too late. A little more exploring the common theme of this story than the actual action of the story (although there is story in this too, don't worry). That'll come soon enough, don't you worry, for now, read this chapter.

By the way, I had some trouble with converting this story, so some apostrophies or quotation marks may be missing. If you find any, let me know, okay? Thanks.

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The sound of a heart in love and the sound of a heart in lust are two different things, despite how closely they are related. The question is, does love derive from lust, or does lust derive from love? Any romantic person would state that love comes first, which is understandable. For example, Person A and Person B have known each other since they were very young. They have grown to love each other, but would have never thought about the acts of lust they would engage in unless they hadn't fallen in love first. However, it can work the other way as well, to the dismay of many hopeless romantics. Person C sees a very attractive Person D on the street, and is struck with said beauty. In a lustful moment, Person C musters up whatever courage is available, and asks Person D on a date. They get to talking, and fall very much in love. Has lust become love? 

Perhaps one does not stem from another. Perhaps they are two processes that run along side each other, parallel in birth, but connected through experience and situation. Are they infinitely bound, one not existing without the other? Can one over take the other; can one be a dominant trait? That would explain the expression 'love is blind,' in which a person loves, and so lusts for a person, despite their description of beauty. It would also explain how husbands and wives could leave their partners of years, and have an affair with someone young and sensual, in an act of unbridled lust. Perhaps lust, any sort of lust, is an afterthought of past love. Perhaps Person C only lusts for Person D because C had loved a person in his or her past, and regarded their looks as beauty.

We find ourselves at the beginning of the circle again. Who is it to say where love and lust truly come from? Who is it to say they are one, or they are separate? Who is it to say anything regarding the two deep-rooted feelings from past and present? We can only say that intellect is needed to understand and accept the two, and it is either one or both that gives you that tingly feeling in your hands when you think about someone you adore.

Gordo swung around the back of her chair, saying, "You're cute when you burp and try to cover it up." He sat down and began to eat the rest of his pizza.

Wait.

Did Gordo just call Lizzie cute?

He almost choked on his pizza as the thought set in. His head snapped up. Lizzie was blushing profusely, and Miranda looked like she had swallowed a bug, or some reasonable facsimile. He could feel his own face heating up; he had never meant for that comment to slip out. The slice of pizza slipped from his hand and landed back in the plate with a resounding slap. He was panicking and didn't know what to do. Tell her youre sorry! Express your undying love for her! Punch her!; these and other such scattered thoughts filled his head, but one miraculous monotone melody from his pocket saved him from listening to any of them. "Oh, my cell phone, hold on guys." He barely spat out, as he grabbed his phone and stepped outside. "Hey, mom? Hey mom, whats up?" He went through the motions with the conversation, but he was more interested in what was going on inside. He looked through the glass doors, to see Lizzie and Miranda talking but he couldn't make out a thing they said. He could only make out some facial expressions which could either have been astonishment or anger. "Yeah...alright...huh? Yeah!" He suddenly burst, obviously excited over some part of the conversation. "Yeah mom, that'll be fine, don't worry about it. Uh-huh, yeah, good...you too, bye." He hung up the phone and burst through the door triumphantly, abruptly ending the conversation Miranda and Lizzie were having.

"Who was that?" Lizzie asked, no longer shell shocked.

"My mom, you guys aren't going to believe this. My parents are going out tonight, to my aunts. She had an allergic reaction, and shes all puffy, but thats besides the point. They're not going to be back until tomorrow night, which means I'm going to be free from all parental control for 24 hours."

"No way, theyd let you stay alone that long?" Miranda buzzed.

"Yeah, they said Im old enough to stay home alone for a night."

"But did they say you were old enough to stay with two girls for a night?" Lizzie playfully moved her eyebrows up and down.

"What they dont know wont hurt them." He smirked, crossing his arms.

"Alright! We have a way!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Now, you should probably head home Gordo, and grab your stuff. You too Miranda."

"Um, wait, how're we going to sneak him into your room? Its not just like he could walk in the door." Miranda pursed her lips.

"Hm...your dad has a ladder, right Lizzie? Couldn't I just climb in through the window?"

"Well, you could, but how would we get the ladder away afterwards?" Lizzie tapped her fingers uneasily.

"I can sneak in first, and you guys could put the ladder away afterwards and then come up." Gordo tilted his head, urging them to question his suggestion.

"Oh sure, make us do all the work." Miranda shot him a look.

"Do you have a better idea?" Gordo asked, letting a silence hang.

"I guess not, it'll have to do." She gave up.

"Alright, cool, Im going to get my stuff, I'll meet you guys behind Lizzies garage around 5." He stated plainly. The girls nodded and he was on his way. As he quickly walked home, Gordo couldn't help but focus on his words. It was no secret to him that he had a crush on Lizzie, but he had never let his emotions fall out of his mouth before. What if Lizzie knew about how much he loved her? What if she was appalled. What if she wanted nothing to do with him?

He stopped and let out a shudder. He was overreacting. He only called her cute, it was nothing to worry about. The only thing he should be concerned with at this point was the sleepover with Lizzie. A wave of tingles ran up and down his entire body.

Wait.

Lizzie.

Sleepover.

Same room.

Right next to each other.

Fuse officially blown, about a half hour late.


	4. A Heartfelt Explosion

Alright everyone, 4th chapter. This one is a little longer than the rest, and is completely plot oriented. I won't tell you now what happens, but I'll let you know that it's setting the stage for the final chapter of our story. Let's see what comes out of it, hm?

* * *

"Are you sure you guys have the ladder?" Gordo called down, trying to peek over his shoulder at the girls.

"We've got you! Just go!" Miranda called back. David slowly scaled the ladder, his bush of a hairstyle shaking around with every step. As he reached the top, he saw Lizzie's dad rounding the corner of the house, and as fast as he could, fell into her window with a resounding thud.

"Lizzie? What're you doing with the ladder?" Sam McGuire asked, scratching the back of his head and raising his eyebrows.

"Oh! Dad! Um…I thought I saw a…squirrel on the roof, and he looked…hurt, yeah, I wanted to help him." Lizzie sputtered, tapping the creativity well dry on excuses.

"A squirrel?" He put his hand to his brow, blocking the sun from his eyes, and squinted, looking for the furry critter.

"Oh, I guess it was just some leaves or something." Lizzie shifted her eyes. Mr. McGuire shook his head, confused.

"Uh…just put the ladder back when you're done, alright?" He breathed.

"Okay Dad, see ya'." Lizzie pulled the ladder down, and quickly enough, she and Miranda, who had stayed silent throughout the entire ordeal, got the ladder away within minutes, and rushed up to find Gordo sitting on Lizzie's bed, thumbing through one of the books she had strewn about her room.

"You know, you don't have a whole lot to read up here. You should get some more interesting stuff." Gordo looked up.

"I'm not too sure if you're here to critique my reading material," Lizzie crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

"Yeah, you're here to hang out with us all night long, doing all the girly stuff we do at sleepovers." Miranda narrowed her eyes and smiled with an evil air.

"Right. Why did I come again?" Gordo put the book down and rolled his eyes.

"Because you love us?"

There was that word again. Chills hit Miranda and Gordo at the same time. Lizzie, who had said it, didn't think too much of it, although she did later wish she would have used a different word.

"Yeah, that must be it." Gordo pushed through his chills.

"So, movies and popcorn?" Lizzie suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Miranda said, grabbing Gordo's wrist in an attempt to get him off the bed.

"Hey, ow, watch it!" He near-yelped, pulling his hand back. "I think I hurt my hand when I fell in."

"Aww, let me see." Lizzie cooed, gently grasping his hand, pulling it closer to her face. "Just looks like a bruise, you'll be fine."

"You want me to kiss it and make it all better?" Miranda teased, pulling his hand and touching her lips to the bruise. Gordo's cheeks blushed slightly, as he pulled his hand away. "All better?"

"Uh…yeah…" Gordo's eyes glazed. Miranda had never done anything like that before.

"So, are we going watch movies or what?" Lizzie spun around and clicked on her television.

"Lizzie! Are you and Miranda up there yet?" Jo McGuire called from the stairs, slowly climbing them.

"Ack! My mom! Hide Gordo, hide!" Lizzie hushed her yell.

"On it." David said very plainly, sliding under the bed. The door creaked open, and Mrs. McGuire's glasses adorned head filled the crack.

"You guys aren't indecent, are you?" She murmured, trying not to actually look in the room.

"We're good Mom, it's cool." Lizzie droned, having gone through this every sleepover.

"Good then. Just so you know, we've got snacks in the kitchen, all restocked, and there's plenty of drinks too." Jo babbled. "Oh, and Matt's going to be over at Manny's tonight, so you won't have to worry about him."

"Thanks Mom." Lizzie gave Miranda a look.

"Oh, thank you Mrs. McGuire." Miranda agreed. With that, Mrs. McGuire gave them a smile and left the room. There was a pause, and then Lizzie and Miranda sat on the bed, letting their legs dangle off. "That was close."

"Yeah, tell me about-AAH!" Lizzie squealed and jerked her leg. Miranda gave her an incredulous look, and then looked down, seeing Gordo's outstretched hand, grasping at air from under the bed.

"Gordo!" Lizzie yelled accusingly.

"Just call me Snortimer." He chuckled, his laugh muffled by the mattress.

"Who?" Miranda raised her brow.

"Never mind." He gave up on his reference. "Just call me the monster under the bed."

"Oh, you jerk, this is what you get." Lizzie scowled, flicking her clunky sandal off of her food, right under the bed and right into Gordo.

"Ow! Hey! That's dangerous!" He groaned. "At least my hair cushioned the blow." He added in as an afterthought.

"Let's just start the movie." Miranda spoke after she and Lizzie's laughter died down. Gordo pulled himself out and the three stationed themselves comfortably on the floor. Lizzie set up a random movie from her collection, and the trio quickly became wrapped up in the drama. As the movie progressed however, Gordo became more indulgent in his thoughts rather than the screen. When Miranda kissed his hand, he felt a pulse resound throughout his entire being, although he did his best not to let it show, despite the rush of blood to his cheeks. He couldn't help but take a quick glance at Miranda, and felt a little of that same blood rush down his arms. What was going on?

He glanced up, and the credits were rolling. Lizzie stifled a tear, as did Miranda. Gordo barely snuck out "Some ending, huh?" hoping the others wouldn't notice he had paid no attention to the latter parts of the film.

"You said it." Lizzie agreed, still sounding glum.

"So, what now?" Miranda's voice cracked, but the others glanced over it.

"We could give each other pedicures?" Lizzie shrugged a little.

"No way, no chance, not in this lifetime." Gordo spat quickly.

"Fine, fine, what about truth or dare? " Lizzie threw out.

"Oooh, that sounds fun!" Miranda's lips pulled into a smile.

"Yeah, alright, just as long as the dares aren't that bad." Gordo hoped for the best.

Many rounds passed, and many secrets were unveiled. Giggles and gasps were abundant after the answers to the questions of truth were uncovered. As for the dares, nothing too bad: Miranda had to steal and hide the newspaper from the totally bewildered Mr. McGuire, and Lizzie had to eat a spoonful of the anchovy paste Mrs. McGuire always kept in the fridge. The turn fell to Gordo, who instinctively would have picked true, but off of a dirty look from both girls, quickly changed his answer to

"Dare, I pick dare." Gordo hastily said, shuffling his hands.

"Dare, huh? Alright…" Miranda trailed off. She grabbed an empty soda bottle from Lizzie's dresser and put it on the floor. "It'll be like spin the bottle, and whoever the bottle lands on, you have to kiss.

"Oooooh!" Lizzie implored childishly, gaining a big goofy grin in the process. "Now this sounds interesting."

"Well, if you say so." Gordo half-rolled his eyes and reached for the bottle. "Ready?" The girls nodded. The bottle spun.

In that instant, Gordo's mind almost exploded. Who knows what this could lead to, and what was he thinking about Miranda before for? Did he like her too? Was it just the kiss? The bottle kept spinning: Lizzie, Miranda, Lizzie, Miranda. What if it landed on Lizzie? He had liked her forever, so what if this opened up some new world? What if it was Miranda? Would they go far? Would Lizzie get jealous? Their friendship could be hanging on the chance of a spinning bottle! The bottle kept spinning: Lizzie, Miranda, Lizzie, Miranda.

Well, maybe not the friendship, his logical side suddenly burst in. It was only one innocent kiss, what was the worst that could happen? Would anyone really get so jealous? They obviously knew the other could get the kiss, maybe it would be nothing. The bottle kept spinning: Lizzie, Miranda, Lizzie, Miranda.

It slowed incomprehensibly slowly, time seeming to hang on the bottle, slowed more, driving all three insane with anticipation, and finally stopped after an antagonizing longer-than-normal spin.. Gordo could feel the resounding pulse in his stomach emanate through his body as he anxiously looked up towards where the bottle was pointing…Lizzie.

"Looks like I'm the lucky girl." She smiled again. "C'mon Gordo, pucker up."

"Alright, alright." Gordo scooted in closer, somewhat embarrassed, and leaned towards her. A steel hammer hit Miranda's stomach. Her eyes widened as their lips moved closer and closer together. Her hands shook and she bit her lower lip as they moved closer still. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Noooooo!" She shrieked and then instantly slapped her hands to her face, aware of what she had just done. Gordo and Lizzie, who had not kissed yet, both stopped dead and snapped their heads towards Miranda.

Silence devoured the room.

They knew whatever came next could change everything.

Forever.


	5. A Heart of Power

This is it folks and other assorted party peoples! The finale! Can this romance turned trajedy really turn out for the better? Find out now.

Oh, and thanks everyone who's read and reviewed this, and everyone who will. It's been a blast splurging on my shameless Lizzie McGuire obsession. I'll probobly write more stories sometime in the future. This is actually the first multi-chapter story I've finished on I've been here for four years too, so I'm quite content with myself. Anyway, I've babbled for too long. Here's to your pleasurable reading.

* * *

"Oh…I…uh…" Miranda stuttered, "I didn't mean to…"

"I think you did, Miranda." Lizzie became fixated on her friend. "Did it bother you that I was going to kiss Gordo?"

"Well…I…" She stammered and looked at her feet. She had never been forced to comprehend her own emotions so quickly before.

"Miranda?" Lizzie's voice was soft, comforting. She put a sympathetic hand on Miranda's soft shoulder.

"Y-yes…and I don't know why." Miranda turned her head, unable to look her friends in the eyes.

"I think I know why…" Lizzie's voice, which suddenly seemed a lot deeper and more knowing than normal, trailed off. "It's because you care for Gordo."

"Care for? We both care for Gordo, but I…I…" Miranda couldn't finish her sentence.

"Love him?" Lizzie finished for her. Miranda could only shade her emotion stained eyes with her hand and nod. "I love him too Miranda, and to tell you the truth, I would have done the same thing if the bottle landed on you."

Miranda's wet eyes looked up from her hands. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Lizzie's reassuring voice made Miranda feel a bit less lost.

"So…s-so…" Miranda wiped the tears away that hadn't flooded out yet and got on her feet.

"So what do we do from here?" Gordo chimed in for the first time during the breakdown. He had a feeling what was coming and he dreaded dealing with it.

"I don't know…" Lizzie bit back her lip and thought. "Will we be hurt no matter what happens?"

"It's like there can't be a happy ending no matter what…" Miranda's face contorted into an unsure shape. "It's a Catch-22" She recalled the term they had learned in school earlier the year before.

"What if Gordo just chose one of us?"

"No, absolutely not." Gordo snapped, his eyes widening wildly. "I can't choose between you guys, you know that."

"You know…this would be a good time for you to figure out how a love triangle could come to a happy ending." Miranda lifted her head to meet his eyes.

"There might be one way…" Gordo's voice was soft and somewhat meek as the deafening words filled the room. There was a pause, to which Lizzie speedily jumped on.

"Well? Spit it out Gordo, don't leave us out of the loop."

"You see…there are these tribes out in foreign countries…I hear they have a system called polyamory, where people can have more than one relationship at a time…" His voice fell to a silence. "Even more than one wife or husband." His voice was slower this time. A longer pause spread throughout the room.

"Gordo, that's kind of…" Miranda started.

"Gross." Lizzie finished, both of them not giving the idea much thought.

"Is it? I mean, I know we always think about just having one, but what if we all loved each other completely, like we do now? Why couldn't we spread the romance between the three of us?"

"Well…I guess that makes sense." Miranda was more set on thinking about it now.

"It's not so bad when you say it like that…but I don't know, that's still kind of a big step…" Lizzie winced.

"We don't have to do it all at once, we could just ease into it. And, it's true, I love you guys both, and I know I couldn't make a choice between you. And I know you guys love each other, and you both obviously love me. The only difference is it would be deeper, and if it doesn't work out with one, the other two keep going. No feelings hurt, because we tried, right?" Gordo was now surer of his plan. "And let's face it, all things considered, how many people are out there that would put up with us?"

The girls giggled, and then looked at each other, both sort of unsure, but excited enough to not care, and then at Gordo. Almost simultaneously they jumped at and tackled him, dragging him to the ground. "Let's try it." Lizzie decided, pinning one of Gordo's shoulders.

"Yeah, I think it's the only way we'll all be happy." Miranda held down the other one.

"Good." Gordo breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, uh…can you get off of me?"

"Yeah, sure, fine." Lizzie teased getting off of one side as Miranda got off of the other one. "We should probably get to bed anyway."

"I guess I'll be under the bed tonight?" Gordo shrugged. "You guys will be on the floor right? So your heads will be by the bed?

"Uh oh…" Lizzie suddenly mumbled. "We always sleep with our feet towards the bed. My mom might get suspicious."

"Wonderful." Gordo flatly droned, "So if I want to say anything, I get to talk to your feet all night."

"Don't worry," Miranda joked, "They're great conversationalists."  
Gordo groaned good heartedly and slid under the bed. He heard the girls milling around, setting up blankets and the such, and then the light clicked off. He stared at the underside of the bed, putting his hands behind his head, and listened to the girls laying down and finally falling asleep. The events of the night passed through his mind again. He had, in one night, gotten two girlfriends, both of whom he loved for as long as they had known each other. He had never been thoroughly understanding of his feelings before the contents of the last two days, but now he understood how deeply he felt for not just Lizzie, but Miranda as well.

The heart, he supposed, couldn't always confine its love or lust to just one person. The heart isn't always as small as normally thought. The heart is a force, almost a being in itself, that can stretch to the heavens, throughout the world, fill a home, and give reason to life. Who's to say such a magnificent, powerful thing couldn't extend itself between three people? Who's to say it couldn't spread love, lust, and romance? No one can truly say, not governments or religious clergy or even people who think they understand the heart. Gordo turned on his side and pulled his sheet close. An unintentional smile spread across his face as he barely whispered, in a tone so melodic even angels above might find themselves full of envy,

"I love you guys."

And so, the next morning…

Gordo's eyes slowly slid open. He felt an instant warmth on his shoulders and face. His eyes traced around, and found Miranda's socked feet on his shoulder and neck, and one of Lizzie's bare feet over his forehead and the big and second toes of the other foot in his mouth. His hands twitched a little, somewhat from anger at his newfound girlfriends, mostly from anger at himself for not expecting something like this. He turned over, sliding out from under their feet and tried to go back to sleep but it was of no use. An hour of boredom later, Lizzie stirred and quickly woke Miranda. The two stuck their heads under the bed and met Gordo and good mornings were given abound.

"Man, I had the best dream last night." Lizzie grinned, "Kate was bowing down to me and groveling and-"

"Kissing your feet?" Gordo interrupted knowingly.

"Uh, yeah, how'd you know?" Lizzie's eyebrows knitted together.

"Lucky guess." He smirked.

"Well, what do you guys want to do today?" Miranda rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at her friends.

"Well, breakfast is probably a good start." Gordo's hunger prescribed.

"Do you think about anything but food?" Lizzie gave him an incredulous look.

"Not when I'm hungry." He quipped, to which Miranda gave a quick, exasperated sigh.

"Let's just figure out what we're going to do _after breakfast_, huh?" Miranda decided.

"Alright, alright." Gordo good-naturedly moaned.

"Hmm…I guess we'll do…whatever comes naturally, huh?" Lizzie gave a little shrug.

"Yeah, I guess so." Miranda gave a little nod.

Lizzie and Miranda looked at each other, smirked, and then leaned towards their new boyfriend and gave him a kiss on each cheek. His cheeked turned a glowing shade of scarlet as he could only mumble out "Oh…I…I…"

And so, deus ex machine saved the day again, and they all lived happily ever after.

The End


End file.
